Symphony of Hearts!
by GearUnlocked
Summary: The road to Budokan has many turns and a lot of bumps, but Ui Hirasawa and I are determined to get that bus filled with dreams there without a scratch. Sacrifices will be made, friends will be lost, and hearts will be broken. Will our symphony of hearts make it through the trip? It's time to test the power of a simple goodnight. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1 - What Time's Done

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Welcome to _Symphony of Hearts!_, the sequel to _Touched by an Angel!_ I hope you all enjoy this story as much as you enjoyed _TBAA!_ Let's get into it!

**\- **If you have not read _Touched by an Angel!_, I suggest you read it before jumping into this story, considering this is a sequel to said story. I hope you all enjoy! See you at the end and leave a review of what you think!

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

**Chapter 1 – Prologue, What Time's Done**

* * *

"_Time does not pass, it continues." – Marty Rubin_

* * *

Ah… another peaceful day in the suburbs of Osaka, just how I like it. You can kick back and relax with no worries. It's the middle of December and the second term of the year is almost over. One more term and I'll be a second-year. It's really hard to believe that life passes by so quickly – it's sad, but I try to focus on the good things, not the bad.

My name is Satoshi Tainaka and I'm a first-year at Osaka Prefectural Shimizudani High School, but we're also known as Osaka High. I've been dating Ui Hirasawa for about two months already. That fateful day in the fall was when I realized I had feelings for the brunette.

Two months ago was the school festival for Sakuragaoka High School, an all-girls' school that my sister, Ritsu Tainaka, and Ui attends. My sister is a second-year there and Ui is a first-year. Ritsu, from what I've heard, is the self-proclaimed 'president' of Sakuragaoka's Light Music Club and the drummer of the Club's band, Houkago Tea Time. They've had their eyes on one thing and one thing only – Budokan.

Ui's older sister, Yui Hirasawa, who is a guitarist in HTT and a classmate of my sister's, fell victim to the common cold. My sister did as well, since she was the one who passed it on to Yui-senpai. Considering HTT had a performance scheduled for the school festival planned, they couldn't miss the chance to spread their wings and become more noticed throughout the prefecture. The school festival was the first of their many stops on the road to Budokan, and they couldn't miss it. This was a one way trip that had no stops, just some sharp turns and bumpy roads they had to pass.

As for me? About a few weeks before the school festival for Sakuragaoka, Ui and I had made a pact that we would do whatever it takes to ensure HTT's success in making it to Budokan. Why would we do that? Why would we devote our days to their band? It's because we love our sisters. Other than seeing Ui's bright smile, seeing my sister and her friends happy is what makes my heart warm up.

Back on track, since Ui and I agreed with one another about our mission with HTT, we would have to sacrifice a lot of things. For me, it would be my pride. On the day of the school festival, my sister and Yui-senpai were still in bed, sick. What would we do to help them? What I had to do was something most guys would walk away from, unless it was for the love of their life or a family member. I had to… impersonate my sister. 'But Satoshi, how could you impersonate your sister? She's a girl and you're a guy.' Easy answer – I had to exchange jeans and a t-shirt for my sister's blazer and skirt. I would have to wear a wig that fit my sister's hairstyle _and _her signature yellow headband.

After my transformation, I looked in the mirror and I swore… I swore I saw a taller version of my sister staring back at me, minus the goofy grin – which was replaced with a saddening frown. I found Ui Hirasawa at the school festival, impersonating her older sister. I tied our predicaments into one piece and we were in it together. We had only one mission – to infiltrate Houkago Tea Time dressed as our sisters.

Boy, how that turned out to be a disaster…

In the end, Ui and I played our hearts out at the school festival. Well, that wasn't really the end. In the actual end, I asked Ui out and she said yes.

I was brought back to reality by the sound of knocking against my door. I opened my eyes and let out a small groan. There was one and only one thing that helped me get out of the bed in the morning – seeing Ui's smile on her face.

"It's open!" I loudly said. With that, the doorknob to my room twisted and it opened. I found the familiar scent of my sister rush into the room and saw her auburn hair.

"Hey, baby brother," she called out to me as she peeped into the room, the sunlight bouncing off her forehead. "You're, uh… you're gonna be late if you don't get up."

"Eh?" I said as my eyes kept a blank stare at my sister.

"Yeah, I'll give you a few minutes before I leave without you," she grinned and threw up a peace sign before she closed the door. I shuffled around in my bed before I turned towards the clock on my nightstand.

"8:32…" I said to myself. My eyes widened and I jumped out of bed, rushing to slip into my school uniform. I slid into my gray slacks and buttoned up my white undershirt. I put on my navy-blue blazer and did my re tie around my neck. I pulled down on the accessory and looked in the mirror, finding me staring at myself.

"Oh, and," the voice of my sister sounded out as she abruptly opened the door. "Don't forget your coat. It's cold out."

"Right, right," I waved her off and heard the door close. I dug through my closet and pulled out a navy-blue coat. I slid into the coat and picked my schoolbag off my desk. I grabbed my house keys off my dresser and stuffed it into my schoolbag, walking out of my room.

I walked down the stairs and looked into the living room, only to find my sister impatiently tapping her foot on the wooden boards. She looked up to me and I waved.

"Hey," I said as I reached the bottom of the staircase. "Who are we walking with today?"

"It's the usual, baby brother," she said with a nod. "First we pick Mio up, then we meet Ui and Yui on the way to school. Then you branch off from us and head to Osaka High while we go to Sakuragaoka."

"That means that Ui's waiting for us!" I exclaimed. "We have to go now!"

"Geez, you're extra excited today," she grinned. "You feeling alright?"

My eyes widened and I cleared my throat, straightening my tie out. I face towards my sister and calmly said.

"Let's go see Ui."

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **So, it's off to a slow start. Updates won't be regular, so yeaaah. Don't worry, the next chapter will be longer than this.

**\- **This was basically just a recap of _Touched by an Angel!_

**\- **That's all I have to say. I'm sure I won't talk as much as I used to before. Anyways! I'll see all of you in the next chapter! Later! Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2 - The Start

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Hey all, welcome back to _Symphony of Hearts! _

**\- **I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you all at the end! Have a good read!

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

**Chapter 2 – The Start**

* * *

"Awh, Mio~!" my sister groaned into her phone. "What do you mean you're already at school?"

I let out a sigh as I walked next to her, hearing the voice of Mio-senpai coming from my sister's phone. From what I could tell by their conversation, Mio-senpai took the golden opportunity of walking to school by herself in peace rather than with my sister.

"B-but… you didn't even tell me!" my sister pouted. "Don't you see my face right now? I'm sad!"

"You're on the phone…" I deadpanned. "She can't see you…"

"That's mean, Mio!" she grunted. "How could you call me that?"

"She called you an idiot again, didn't she?" I asked her, which my sister nodded in response. "Man, that's like the fourth time since you called her… and that was only five minutes ago."

"Don't blame me for that! How was I supposed to know that link would send you to a picture of a zombie?" she exclaimed. "If anyone, you should blame Eri for that! She's the one who sent it to me in the first place!"

"I would blame you…"

"Fine, fine! I'll see you at school then!" my sister said before she ended her call with Mio-senpai. She turned to face me and she let out a sigh before wrapping her arms around her body. "It's cold…"

"It's the middle of December," I sighed. "What do you expect?"

"I expect school to be already out and to sit by the fireplace, drinking some eggnog."

"We don't have a fireplace."

"Oh… yeah…"

"And I don't think mom and dad will let you drink eggnog."

"Oh… yeah…"

I dryly chuckled and looked ahead of us, finding the Hirasawa sisters waiting at the usual spot where the five of us would usually meet up and walk to school together – in front of their house. Yui-senpai and Ui were wearing winter versions of their school uniform, which was just an addition of a navy-blue coat, just like mine. Except, y'know… they're for girls.

With their winter attire, they also donned scarves and mittens. Yui-senpai wore a pin scarf with matching pink gloves, while Ui did the same, except her gloves were a yellow color, almost matching the ribbon in her hair.

"There she is, Satoshi," my sister wrapped her arm around me and leaned in closer to my face. "You'd better hurry before some guy comes along and steals her from ya."

"Pfft! Like that'll happen!" I closed my eyes and looked away, letting out a huff.

"Like that guy right there."

"WHAT!?" I shouted as I instantaneously opened my eyes, only to find Yui-senpai and Ui off in the distance. I gritted my teeth and turned towards my sister, who was covering her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter. "That's not funny."

"I was just kidding, baby bro," she grinned. "But be lucky, Ui Hirasawa is one heck of a girl. And guess what? She's your girl."

"Ye-yeah…" I nodded.

_She really is mine, huh? Man… I am so lucky._

"Hey, why aren't you wearing a scarf or mittens?" I asked my sister. "You're complaining about how cold it is, yet you didn't bring any of those items?"

"I… I forgot it in the club room…" she sobbed as she slouched over.

"I feel so sorry for you," I frowned as I dug through my schoolbag, pulling out a pair of yellow mittens. "Here."

"Why don't you wear it?" she asked out of curiosity. "Aren't you cold?"

"Nah…" I waved her off. "You wear it.

"If you say so…" she muttered as she hesitantly took the mittens from my hands. I watched as my sister put on the mittens and let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," I grinned as I gave her a thumbs up, ignoring the numbness in my hands from the cold.

As we approached the two girls, I found Yui-senpai happily waving towards us.

"Ricchan, Rikkun! Good morning!" she called out as she continued waving.

"Yo, Yui," my sister said with a grin as she waved back.

"Hey, Yui-senpai," I felt the corners of my lips curve into a smile.

With that, I met eyes with Ui and her lit up with happiness. My heart began pounding as I began to walk faster towards her.

"Ui!"

"Satoshi-kun!" she happily exclaimed as she ran towards me. I met her halfway and soon found the two of us in an embrace, her familiar scent creeping into my nose. I let out a sigh relief and looked over her shoulder, finding Yui-senpai staring at the two of us with confusion.

The two of us let each other go and we smiled at one another.

"I have your lunch for you, Satoshi-kun," Ui said as she handed me a black plastic container. "Wait until lunch to open it though! It's a surprise!"

I took the container from her and sighed in relief at the touch of something warm on my freezing hands.

"Do I really have to?" I whined.

"If you really love me, then yes, you do," she said with a warm smile.

"Aw… thanks anyway, Ui," I said as I leaned in and kissed her on her rosy-red cheeks. "You're the best."

"It's what I'm supposed to do. Oh… Satoshi-kun, you must be freezing," Ui frowned as she took off one of her mittens, handing it to me. "Take this, it'll keep you warm."

"Are you sure?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Please, Satoshi-kun," she pouted.

_So… cute… I can't resist. _

I took the mitten from her hand and I slipped it into my right hand. I stuffed my left hand into my coats pocket and bowed towards my girlfriend as a sign of gratitude.

"Th-thanks, Ui…" I sighed with a smile.

"That's not it, Satoshi-kun."

"Huh?"

She wrapped her scarf around my neck and I fell into the warmth of the cloth. Since Ui was sharing her scarf with me, I was as close as I could be with her – our shoulders touching one another. I felt her grab my hand and I turned towards her.

"Where'd you get this idea from?" I chuckled.

"Onee-chan taught me about this a year ago," she giggled.

The four of us walked down the road towards the intersection where I would split off from the three girls and head my own way to Osaka High. Although there was quite the distance between Sakuragaoka and Osaka High, I could still see Sakuragaoka in the distance

My sister turned towards Ui and I as we walked and grinned.

"You know, you guys really kicked ass at the school festival," my sister spoke up. "Have you ever thought of forming a band or something?"

"Who? Us?" Ui and I said in unison.

"Yep," she nodded.

"Um…" I looked away.

"Uh…" Ui muttered as she pulled her scarf over her face.

"You guys would rock out so hard!" my sister exclaimed. "Isn't that right, Yui? They would be the second-best band in Osaka if they tried!"

"That's right, Ricchan!"

"Who would be first? You guys?" I scoffed.

"Who else, baby bro!?" she folded her arms over her chest and confidently smiled. "We're Houkago Tea Time!"

"You know what, sis? Forming a band doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. I'll take you up on that challenge. No… _we _will."

"We will?" Ui asked me. I nodded and her eyes lit up with stars. "I've always had that idea, Satoshi-kun! We should start a band!"

_Oh, shit…_

"Good luck with that," my sister grinned.

"Uwa~! Ui! I can't wait to see you guys perform!" Yui-senpai happily shouted. "It's going to be awesome!"

Ui let out a giggle before she turned to me.

"Are we really going to form a band, Satoshi-kun?" Ui whispered to me. I felt my eyes widen and I groaned, tilting my head downwards into the pink scarf.

"It was… it was the spur of the moment."

* * *

I walked into the computer room, strolling over to my usual seat. Sitting at the desk, I found Kurisu-senpai typing away on his computer. As he intently stared at the screen, I set my schoolbag on the desk and pulled out the chair, causing his attention to direct to me.

"Oh, snap," he said as he clenched his chest. "I thought you were someone else."

"Hello to you too, senpai," I lazily replied as I sat down, pressing the on button on the tower before I leaned back in my chair.

"Hehe… my bad, Satoshi," he chuckled before he turned his attention back to his work. He grabbed the canned coffee on his desk and took a sip before continuing to type on the keyboard.

"I didn't know you liked canned coffee," I said to him.

"It's something that caught my eye recently, yeah… hey, you know that they sell canned coffee at this school?" he asked me. "I mean, I didn't even know they made coffee in a can."

"They sell canned coffee everywhere, senpai," I nervously grinned.

He sat there, dumbfounded, and looked at me, glancing over to the can in front of him. "Is that so?"

"There's a vending machine that sells it right outside the classroom. You didn't see it until now?"

"Uh… nope. I guess not," he shrugged. "Wait. Really? I got this from the first floor."

"Really…" I said as I pointed to the open door behind us, revealing the said vending machine. "It was literally right there this whole time."

"Okay, I lied," he let out a sigh. "Akane gave this to me when I walked her to school this morning. I didn't know they sold canned coffee here at all."

"You walked Satō-senpai to school this morning?" I raised an eyebrow towards him. "Again, huh?"

"It's just, like… the fifteenth time I walked her…" he said as he looked away. "We're just friends, alright? No more. No less. That's all we're ever going to be. And this time I had a perfectly fine reason to walk her."

"Oh yeah? What would that be?" I said.

"Well… it's because of her friend, Eri," he sighed. "Apparently Eri sent Akane a link to a picture of a zombie at night… and it kept her up. She called me at midnight and we fell asleep on the phone… but that doesn't mean we're more than friends!"

"Hey… it's up to you," I said with a grin.

"Don't do that to me," he narrowed his eyes. "Just because you're with Ui Hirasawa of Sakuragaoka High School, that doesn't mean you're the big man on campus."

"Okay, okay! What's with everyone talking about me and Ui like that? Seriously…"

"She's the bee's knees, Satoshi," he sighed. "Every guy at this school talks about her like she's some goddess… is she?"

"The goddess of cooking…" I muttered to myself as I pictured Ui's smile while she wore an apron, a giant spoon in hand.

"Eh? What'd you say?" he said as he continued typing on the computer. I ignored what he asked for a few seconds before my mind clicked to what happened in the morning.

"Hey, Kurisu-senpai," I called out to him. He ceased typing and turned towards me, curiosity marked all over his face.

"What's up?" he asked.

"What do you think about forming a band?"

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **That ends it for chapter 2! As always, I hoped you all enjoyed reading!

**\- **I lied. This chapter isn't as long as I said it would be, but hey, it's still longer than chapter 1. Then again, it's all about length.

**\- **I probably won't do authors notes that often, unless I feel the need to talk about something important in that chapter. I'll still give you all a greeting and a farewell each chapter though, it's common courtesy, of course!

**\- **With that, I'll catch you all in the next chapter of _Symphony of Hearts! _Stay beautiful!


	3. Chapter 3 - Band Away!

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Yo! Here's chapter 3 for you all. As usual, I'll see you at the end and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Have a nice read!

**\- **Sorry for the late update, since it's been like 3 months. I've been bettering my writing skills and school's been taking up most of time. Fear not, for if you believe that I'll go AWOL again… you're probably right. BUT! I'll be trying the best I can to update, and I'll be trying other fanfics as well.

**\- **Have any questions or just wanna talk? Add me on Skype or find me through Steam! Skype - GearUnlocked; Steam - onetimecuz. I play CS:GO on a daily basis! (p.s. looking to trade my P2000 Fire Elemental in Field Tested condition).

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

**Chapter 3 – Band Away!**

* * *

I sat in my chair in the Computer Room, impatiently waiting for Kurisu-senpai to decide while he rubbed his chin in thought. I folded my arms over my chest and as he looked up to face me, I raised an eyebrow towards him.

"Starting a band?" he asked me.

"Yeah, starting a band."

"Like… a band-band?"

"What else?" I grinned.

"I mean… I think it's a great idea!" he smiled. "Let me guess, it was your idea, huh?"

"You…" I nervously chuckled. "You could say so… I mean, I was I _inspired_ by my sister. But I mean, come on. Ui and I really rocked out at Sakuragaoka's school festival. And I think we have some potential into making it big by being in a band."

"By 'we', you're talking about you and Ui-chan, right?" he asked out of curiosity. "I'm sure you two will, I was there after all. Both of you are amazing at what you do, Satoshi."

"Well, since Ui will be on the lead guitar and vocals, I'll be on the drums," I said to him. "Ui said that she'll try and get Jun, since she's the only bass player that Ui knows, other than Mio-senpai. I'm 100% positive that Ui will get Jun to join."

"I see…" he nodded his head.

To be clearly honest, I'm only having this conversation with Kurisu-senpai because Ui and I agreed to have him be the rhythm guitarist of our band. To be quite honest, I'm actually thankful for my sister suggesting that we make our own band.

"What started as a challenge by my sister turned into something worth creating, senpai," I smiled. "And Ui and were wondering if you wanted to help create this band."

"Where are you going with this, Satoshi?" he asked.

"And since you can play the guitar… I was wondering if…" I bit my lip and let out a sigh. "If you wanted to be our rhythm guitarist?"

"Rhy-rhythm… guitar…guitarist?"

I slowly nodded my head. I could sense the aura around him suddenly become depressing as a small frown curved from his lips. With a little hesitation, I pushed for the question once more.

"Yeah… do you want to be our rhythm guitarist?"

He shook his head and looked me in the eyes. I could see a slight pain in his gray eyes as he stared at me. "No."

* * *

"He said no?" Jun scoffed. "What a jerk. Man, he's going to lose out an opportunity to be the next top band in Osaka!"

I sat at a table with her and Ui inside one of the local hotspots, a coffee shop near Sakuragaoka High School that was often frequented by students from both Sakuragaoka and Osaka High. On the table sat a warm decaf for me, a black for Jun, and a chai latte for Ui.

"Is there anything we can do, Satoshi-kun?" Ui asked, her eyes filled with concern as she sat back in her chair, her fingers clutching the edge of the table with anticipation. "Surely we can do something to help change Kurisu-senpai's mind!"

"Forget about that, Ui!" Jun waved her hand towards Ui before picking up her cup of coffee and taking a small sip from it. She let out a sigh with a smile on her face and turned back to me. "So, what happened after he said no?"

"Well…" I thought back to earlier on in the day. The nostalgic vibes that sent chills through my spine of the earlier encounter with Kurisu-senpai.

* * *

"'N-no'…?" I stammered as my jaw fell loose. I leaned forward in my chair towards Kurisu-senpai. "But why?"

"I just… I just don't have the time to be your Rhythm Guitarist, Satoshi…" he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry…"

"It's alright…" I said as I looked down. The word 'no' always made me feel as if the other person didn't really care, but then again, you don't get everything you want in life.

"But, I can help you find one if you want!" he grinned.

* * *

"Wait just a second here! We don't need his charity right after he denied us!" Jun shouted, slamming her hand on the table, garnering attention from other customers in the coffee shop.

"Jun-chan…" Ui slightly frowned. "You're causing a scene…"

"Sorry…" Jun nervously smiled. "You were saying, Satoshi?"

"There really isn't any more to say," I shrugged. "The day just went by as it normally did, but Kurisu-senpai was awfully silent."

"Who…who else could be our rhythm guitarist?" Ui asked out of curiosity.

"You don't need a rhythm guitarist to make your band, Ui," Jun said to her. "Just look at Houkago Tea Time – they didn't have Azusa at first, and they were able to perform as amazing as they do today!"

"But they had Mugi-senpai," I pointed out, caushing Jun's gaze to shift towards me. "Sure, they didn't have the usefulness of a second guitar, but Mugi-senpai's keyboard made up for it in their arsenal. The powerful tones her Korg Triton could produce was enough to make it with Houkago Tea Time's pace."

"There are some successful bands out there that don't have a second guitar _or _a keyboard," Jun grinned. "Like those girls from the Eastern District… uh… what was their name… Love Crysis! Yeah! Them!"

"I just feel… I feel as if we would sound better with a rhythm guitarist…" Ui shook her head. "I don't know why, but Azusa-chan's guitar mixed with mine made a sound that my ears can never forget…"

"We can always go find someone else to be our rhythm guitarist if your feelings are that conflicted, Ui," I offered with an open hand.

"That… that could work…" Ui responded, a little bit more confidence hinted in the tone of her voice.

"But I don't know where we could start…" I said, stumped as I looked down at the table for answers.

"How about we ask Houkago Tea Time?" Jun asked. "Surely they have some expertise in looking for new members, considering they recruited little ol' Azusa into their band and club."

"That's right!" I snapped my fingers. "I remember that were looking for more members to join the Light Music Club in their second year. My sister kept coming home and complained about how they couldn't find a single first year who wanted to join their club."

"Yeah!" Ui brightly smiled. "Satoshi-kun, meet us after school tomorrow and we can go ask Houkago Tea Time for some advice on recruiting a rhythm guitarist!"

"Or maybe even better, they come with us to find one!" Jun added with a smirk.

"U-uh… mind if I ask, but…" I gulped. "Where do we exactly meet?"

"At Sakuragaoka, of course!" Ui nodded.

"Wh-what if I get jumped on by the guards for entering!?" I frantically shook my head. "Are boys even allowed on campus when there's no School Festival?"

"I'm not so sure…" Ui lightly tapped her chin with her index finger. "Jun-chan, what do you think?"

"I have no idea…" Jun blankly stared at me. "Why don't you just come and we'll figure something out, Satoshi?"

"N-no! I won't!" I folded my arms over my chest and huffed.

* * *

"I didn't know boys were allowed inside the school building," Mugi-senpai remarked with a polite smile. "Usually they would just wait outside the gates for whoever they were waiting for.

"Nei-neither did I…" I sighed.

"It's alright with the headmaster," Ui nodded. "As long as I keep Satoshi-kun within arm's reach, he's fine to roam the campus."

I stood with Ui and Jun in the hallway on the first floor of the school building in Sakuragaoka High School. After pleading with the principal and the security guards that were stationed at the opened gates, I was allowed to come onto the premises on a school day. I could still remember

In front of us were Mugi-senpai, Mio-senpai, and Azusa. The bassist and rhythm guitarist of Houkago Tea Time had their guitar cases slung over their shoulders, with all five girl carrying their schoolbags in their hands.

"So, what brings you to Sakuragaoka, Satoshi-kun?" Mio-senpai asked as she slightly tilted her head to the side.

"Clearly it's not for Ui-chan, considering she's right by your side," Mugi-senpai smiled.

"It's… it's not like that at all, senpai…" I nervously chuckled.

"In fact, it's far from that!" Jun added.

"You see, we've recently decided to start up a band of our own," Ui explained courteously. "Ever since the fiasco at the Sakuragaoka School Festival, I've realized my abilities at playing the guitar and singing, with Satoshi-kun doing the same with his drumming skills."

"Starting up a band?" Mio-senpai raised a brow. "That's certainly an idea I've never thought about before between you two… but I approve of it. The way both of you performed at the School Festival revealed your inner musician."

"I agree," Mugi-senpai nodded with a smile on her face. "I'm proud of both of you, Satoshi-kun, Ui-chan. Jun-chan, you'd be perfect as their bassist. I have seen you before at the Jazz Club and I have to say, nice work!"

"Aw-awh…" Jun turned away from Mugi-senpai and smiled, a notable blush on her face. "Th-thank you… Mugi-senpai…"

"Flustered over that?" Azusa deadpanned.

"Don't ruin the moment, Azusa," Jun's face puffed.

"But we're here today for a reason, you see…" I cleared my throat. "We feel as if a rhythm guitarist within our ranks would make our band sound more… better. We have no idea where to find a rhythm guitarist who's willing to join our band, so we were wondering if Houkago Tea Time wanted to come and help us find one."

"We'd love to," Mio-senpai responded in a polite voice. "Although, I'm afraid that Ritsu can't come with us, she has to stay and help clean up the classroom – it is her turn after all."

"Sadly, it's the same thing with Yui-chan," Mugi-senpai added in a saddened tone. "And I'm sorry to say, but I won't be able to join you today, for my father has called for me to manage a few things at home."

"I wouldn't mind tagging along," Azusa said with a smile. "If a rhythm guitarist is what you're looking for, I know just the place to find one that's willing to join a band."

"Really? Where would that be?" I asked with a raised brow.

"The music store that Mugi-senpai's family owns," the cat-like girl responded. "There are always freelance musicians posting applications to join bands, it'll be easy as pie to find one."

"Huh… I was expecting Yui-senpai to appear out of nowhere, considering that Azusa just mentioned food," Jun shrugged.

"Azu…"

"You guys hear that?" I called out.

"Jun… you jinxed it…" Azusa frowned.

"Azu... Azunyan!" I turned towards the hyper voice and found a brunette running towards us. "Azunyan!"

"Get back here, Yui-chan!"

Behind Yui-senpai was Sawako-sensei, who was chasing the girl down the hallway. There was anger in her eyes as Sawako-sensei ran in full-sprint towards Yui-senpai. Yui-senpai reached out for us and before she knew it, Sawako-sensei yanked the brunette back by the collar of her shirt.

"No! Azunyan! I have to get my power from hugging Azunyan!" Yui-senpai whined as her eyes began to water.

"You have to finish cleaning the room first!" Sawako-sensei yelled at her. "You just left without saying anything, Yui-chan. You can't do that!"

"Bu-but… but I could sense that Azunyan was going to leave without waiting for me!"

"That's not a reason to just leave!" Sawako-sensei frowned.

"Yui-senpai can be an idiot sometimes…" Azusa sighed as all of us watched the scene unfold.

"At least she's not as bad as Ritsu…" Mio-senpai sighed.

"Or Kurisu-senpai…" I added with a heave.

"Should we wait for her and Ritsu-senpai?" Azusa asked with a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"I wouldn't… it does take some time for Ritsu to clean up, especially if Yui's with her," Mio-senpai said with a cringe. "Let's just go on without them."

"I can believe that."

"Onee-chan…" Ui gasped. I took hold of her hand and she looked at me. "Onee-chan needs to be more responsible with the duties that have been given to her."

"Come on, Ui," I said with a smile. "I'll come back with you later to walk home with Yui-senpai."

"Okay, Satoshi-kun!" she smiled before turning back to Yui-senpai, who was still held by the collar by Sawako-sensei. "Onee-chan, we'll be back for you later! Have fun!"

"Ui! Please don't leave me with Sawa-chan!" Yui-senpai cried as Sawako-sensei looked the brunette in the eye. "She's making me do too much work!"

"Let's go, Yui-chan," Sawako-sensei frowned before pulling Yui-senpai away with her, walking down the opposite way of the hallway, towards a set of staircases. I stifled my laughter as Yui-senpai attempted to break free from Sawako-sensei's grip.

She desperately reached her hand out for us before they turned the corner to the staircase.

"Azunyan! No! I need to get my power from hugging you~!" Yui-senpai's voice trailed away as they went up the stairs.

"Gah, Yui-senpai…" Azusa sighed as she frowned, a slight blush on her face. "Now isn't the time for that…"

"You know," Mio-senpai spoke up. "When I first heard Azusa's guitar mix with Yui's, I really believe that the band sounded ten times better with the new chords. I think you're right in wanting to have a rhythm guitarist, Ui."

"Thank you, Mio-senpai," Ui smiled. "I really feel as if the band would be complete if we have one."

"I totally agree."

"By the way, Azusa-chan, you were right," Mugi-senpai said to the younger girl. "My father's store does have a small recording room where musicians come to test out appliances and instruments – but people also use to it practice. There's also a bulletin board just outside that has applicants searching for bands in need of new members."

"We should hurry before all of the good ones are taken," Ui pleaded.

"I agree!" Jun raised her hand in the air.

We all departed from Sakuragaoka High School and made our way towards the Osaka Eastern District Mall. Along the way, we chatted about small things – well, the girls did. They talked about current events and girl problems I wouldn't dare invite myself into… while I just idly walked with them.

We came across an intersection and across from us was a train station. I looked on as Mugi-senpai walked by me and crossed the street.

"I'll be seeing you tomorrow then," Mugi-senpai smiled.

"Bye, Mugi," Mio-senpai said.

"Walk safe, Mugi-senpai," Azusa said with caution.

"Later, senpai," Jun nodded.

"Have a safe trip home, Mugi-senpai," Ui said with the tilt of her head.

As Mugi-senpai broke off and walked away from us, she turned around and I raised an eyebrow towards her.

"I hope you three find what you're looking for!" Mugi-senpai called out with a wave. I lowered my brow and felt the corners of my lips curve into a small smile.

The five of us returned the wave to the blonde and she began walking the other direction down the street, towards the train station.

* * *

I walked down the street towards the Osaka Eastern District Mall, looking up at the beautiful work of art that stood before us. Three floors filled with commercial and retail stores, with an indoor food court that surrounded a large fountain in the middle of the mall provided a scenery that drew many customers out to shop.

Behind me, the rhythm guitarist and bassist of Houkago Tea Time, along with Ui and Jun, walked.

"This mall never ceases to amaze me," Mio-senpai remarked as the sliding doors opened in front of us.

I took my first steps into the Osaka Eastern District Mall and looked around to the four girls that were with by my side. I eyed the three guitar cases that were slung over their backs and nodded.

"Let's go find our rhythm guitarist!"

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Whew! Haven't updated this is a long, _long_ time. I can't really explain why, but I just haven't felt like writing on , especially in the K-On! section. I did do a Nisekoi fanfic and a Clone Wars one, but I have little motivation to continue either one of the two at the moment, but I'll most likely get to them in the future!

**\- **I'm going to be updating my other stories that I've written for K-On! My next priority is Forever In Our Stars and Attack on Tea Time, but there's no expectation date in when I'll be finished with them. So, just stay tuned!

**\- **So, I've been reevaluating my plot direction for this story and after many times going back to the drawing board, I've finally found one that I liked, and I'm sure you'd like to. This story will develop from its roots soon enough, it just has to touch base on the band first.

**\- **Trial and error, which is what Satoshi, Jun, and Ui are currently doing.

**\- **I'm not actually sure if boys are allowed on all-girls school campuses if there aren't any events, but I just tossed it in for the heck of the story.

**\- **The events of K-On! resemble areas in Kyōto, but it's hard to tell since they did take a class trip to Kyōto in season two. I chose Osaka because that's where the elementary school based on Sakuragaoka resides. The Osaka Eastern District Mall is also a fictionalized place.

** \- **Thank you so much for reading and keeping up with this story, and I'll see you all next time! Later!


	4. Chapter 4 - Rhythm Guitarist Ahoy!

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Hey all! I hope you all had a lovely time since we last met. I'll save my bickering words for the end of the chapter. Until then, I hope you have a nice read and don't forget to leave a review of what you think! Thanks and see you later!

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

**Chapter 4 – Rhythm Guitarist Ahoy!**

* * *

I walked into the music store with the four girls that accompanied me. We examined the many guitars that hung on a rack and the other appliances in the store.

We gained the attention of the cashier in the store, a young man with black hair and brown eyes. He looked at us and once we all turned towards him, he waved with a smile.

"Welcome to Music for the Finer Arts! How may I help you today?"

He narrowed his eyes at us before letting out a gasp.

"Ah, it's you again, Nakano-san," the cashier said with a smile as he stood behind the counter. "What can I help you find this week?"

"Nothing in particular, Ozaki-san," Azusa replied with a bow. "But… we were wondering if we could take a look at the bulletin board in the back."

"Of course you may!" he responded with a bright smile. "But, just to warn you, there's someone in the recording booth as we speak."

"We won't be of any disturbance," I answered him.

"Very well, if you come this way please, I'll show you who's on the bulletin board this week."

We followed the man past the counter and into the back of the store, where we were lead down a hallway littered with posters of bands on the walls. At the end of the hallway, a door that I presumed led to the recording booth stood, with a large bulletin board in front of it.

"What type of musician are you looking for?" Ozaki-san asked as he gestured towards the board. Sticky notes and pictures formed most of the items on the board. "We have a keyboardist from northern Osaka, a bassist from Kyōto, and a few others."

"A rhythm guitarist," Ui politely answered him.

"Oh, really? You're just in luck!" he happily said. "The person in the recording booth right now is a rhythm guitarist! And I do believe he's around your age group – considering he was wearing a uniform similar to yours."

Ozaki-san pointed at me and I looked down at my uniform.

"Like mine…" I repeated.

"I assume that he's currently not in a band at the moment, but I believe that he isn't looking to be in one either. That's only because he never posts his name on the board," Ozaki-san frowned. "But rest assured, you can always convince him to join you. He isn't the type of person to get mad if someone intrudes while he's playing, but instead he'll welcome you."

"Well… what do you think, Ui?" Jun asked.

"Whoever this boy is… he's our only choice right now…" Ui said as she turned towards the door. "Just beyond this door… lies a potential candidate for our rhythm guitarist."

Ozaki-san cleared his throat and we all turned towards him.

"Ah, Nakano-san, I forgot to tell you. We have the new model for the Fender Mustang. It just came in this week and I'm sure you'd want to come see it."

"Sure! I'd love to!" Azusa smiled.

"You go here a lot, Azusa?" Mio-senpai asked.

"Every so often, but it's only because I need to buy new strings and I want to check out the new stuff they have."

"We also have a new bass guitar, but I'm afraid that it's for lefties, so we don't get much attraction for it," Ozaki-san added.

"Did you… did you just say it's for lefties?" Mio-senpai asked, her attention turning towards the young man.

"Yup! It's a left-handed bass guitar!"

"We must go!" Mio-senpai said as she walked back down the hallway. "Come on! There's a left-handed bass guitar!"

Azusa and Ozaki-san followed after Mio-senpai and they disappeared out of site as they turned the corner.

I turned towards Jun and Ui as they looked at the door in front of them.

"Alright!" Jun shouted as she placed her hands on the doorknob and twisted the handle. Before she could push the door open, Ui grabbed her arm. "Eh? Ui?"

"Le-let's think about this first, Jun-chan!" Ui said.

"What's there to think about, Ui? The rhythm guitarist you've been searching for is just behind this door! Seize the day!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but…" I sighed as I pinched the top of my nose. "Jun's right, Ui. This is an opportunity at chance right here."

"Bu-but you heard what Ozaki-san said! He isn't looking for a band to play in at the moment!"

"He also said that we may be able to convince him."

"Just go for it!" Jun shouted once more.

"Jun-chan, wait!" Ui pleaded.

Without hesitation, Jun opened the door and we walked inside the recording booth. It was a medium-sized room. There were chairs and a control panel for the booth, with a thin glass standing in between the room and the actual booth.

Inside the booth stood a boy with black, slicked-back hair and narrowed gray eyes. His attention was fixated onto the guitar in his hands – a Fender Stratocaster in royal blue. I already recognized who was behind the glass – Kurisu Otomo.

"Kurisu… Kurisu-senpai!?" I felt my jaw drop. "What the hell's he doing here!?"

"No way…" Jun gasped.

"I can't believe it…" Ui muttered.

"God damn…" he muttered into the microphone before him as he adjusted his guitar. "You can play it, but you can't sing it…"

"I don't believe Kurisu-senpai has noticed us…" Ui sighed.

"Idiot…" I shook my head.

"You can do this…" he said to himself as he looked down at his guitar.

With that, Kurisu-senpai began strumming on his guitar with his left hand, putting his right hand figners on the E, A, and B chords. Although it sounded as an unfamiliar tune at first, I could soon recognize the riff after a shrill tone.

I heard footsteps behind us and turned around to find Azusa and Mio-senpai walking into the room. They raised eyebrows at me before their eyes widened at the sight beyond the thin glass.

"Is that…" Mio-senpai gestured towards Kurisu-senpai.

"Yeah…" I scratched the back of my head.

"He's… he's playing the chords to Fuwa Fuwa Time…" Azusa remarked.

Before I knew it, Kurisu-senpai opened his mouth and leaned in towards the microphone. His eyes widened and he pulled back, continuing on playing the guitar instead of singing. The second verse riff passed and in came the solo – a high pitched screech from his guitar roared and his fingers played a solo that was far from Fuwa Fuwa Time.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I have no idea…" Azusa muttered. "But it was quite something…"

The final verse played through and Kurisu-senpai finished. He looked up and panted, and that was when he found the five of us watching him.

"Wh-what…" he stuttered into the mic.

"Whoo!" Jun cheered. "Great job, senpai!"

All around me, the girls clapped for him. I smiled and called for him myself, seeing a slight blush grow on Kurisu-senpai's face. He walked towards the door and opened it, walking out into the room to meet us.

"What are you guys… what are you guys doing here?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"We _were _looking for a rhythm guitarist on the bulletin board…" I sighed.

"Azusa-chan led us here," Ui said.

"I never knew you used the recording booth here," Azusa spoke up.

"I use it every so often... maybe once a month? It's only so I don't get rusty at the guitar," he answered her. Kurisu-senpai walked towards the chairs and I saw a guitar case lying on the floor. He put his Stratocaster into the bag, but before he could zip it up, Ui's voice stopped him.

"Is that a Fender Stratocaster '65 Reissue? And in royal blue?"

"Why, yes, Hirasawa-san, it is!" he said as he turned around with a bright smile on his face. "You seem like you know your guitars."

"I do!" she nodded in response.

"Wow… this band idea was probably more serious than I thought…" he muttered as he scratched the back of his head, zipping up his guitar case and slinging it over is left shoulder.

"What was that little solo you did?" Mio-senpai asked him.

"It was actually something from an American band – Boys Like Girls," he said. "Although the name of their band is… well, their songs are top notch in my opinion. I took the solo from On Top of the World."

"I've heard of them before," Mio-senpai said. "But I've never heard that song at all."

"The only song I know with that title is the one by Imagine Dragons," Jun spoke up.

"Yeah…" he rubbed the back of his head. "It's one of their most underrated songs, in my opinion."

"I remember that band…" Ui said. "I like the collaboration they did with Taylor Swift – Two Is Better Than One… it really made my heart feel warm and tingly inside."

"You understand English lyrics, Ui?" I asked.

"Mmhhmm…" she nodded her head. "I've been practicing a little…"

"A Japanese band from Osaka who can has both English and Japanese songs…" Jun muttered. "I can already picture the headlines! We'll be a global sensation! Or at least, with Ui's vocals, we will!"

"Well… we need a rhythm guitarist to top it off…" I smirked as I turned towards Kurisu-senpai, who flinched as his reaction to me.

"Since you've caught me red-handed…" he sighed. "I guess I have no choice but to join your band…"

"Yes!" I clenched my hand into a fist. "We've got ourselves a rhythm guitarist!"

"Why didn't you just say yes to Satoshi in the first place?" Jun asked as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Um… stuff… you don't want to know…" he muttered before his eyes lit up. "But! To make up for it, I'll do whatever I can to benefit this band in any way possible! I mean it! Whatever I can."

"If you can find us a place to perform, that'd be helpful," I sarcastically remarked.

"Consider it done!" he gave me a thumbs up.

"I have a question, Satoshi…" Azusa poked my arm. "What's the name of your band?"

"The… the name?" I gulped. "We never really thought of a name yet…"

"I was wondering the same," Kurisu-senpai said.

"You've never really called it anything other than 'a band'," Mio-senpai nodded.

"That's true…" Jun rubbed her chin.

Ui looked at me, a small blush forming on her cheeks.

"I have a name…"

"Eh? What would it be, Ui?" I asked her.

She looked at me and her smile widened.

"OyasUmI."

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Well there you have it! Satoshi and Ui have officially started a band! What lies next in the adventure ahead of them?

**\- **OyasUmI. I bet you're wondering what that's supposed to mean. Well, as said in the description – 'the power of a simple goodnight'. Oyasumi means goodnight in Japanese. But then there's the capitalized U and I. Why's that? Ui – U and I. Oui is also French for yes. Then there's Oui, Ai Kotoba – a song that's yet to be performed by the new band. Hopefully you understood what I mean by that. In short terms, OyasUmI is supposed to mean 'Yes, goodnight'.

**\- **Usually, the workers at the music store would be afraid of Houkago Tea Time, mostly due to the fact that they try to swindle their way through discounts.

**\- **Here we go again with Mio's fascination with left-handed basses.

**\- **On Top of the World is one of the best songs I've heard from Boys Like Girls. The solo Kurisu performs is from the chorus of the song, so give it a listen! It's a pretty good song and I'm sure most of you will like it.

**\- **Kurisu was originally supposed to sing, but he's too scared of opening up his voice. Just kidding. It's against rules to post lyrics to an already existing song that is **not **in the public domain. People still do it, and I'm not going to take any chances.

**\- **That's all I have for now and I hope you all enjoyed! I'll be seeing you all later. Peace!


	5. Chapter 5 - Secret's Out

**Author's Notes**

**\- **The story's finally bringing its wheels up and we're at a takeoff! I'll see you all at the end and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter, thanks and don't forget to leave a review of what you think!

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

**Chapter 5 – Secret's Out**

* * *

OyasUmI. That's all that's been on my mind for the past week – OyasUmI. Never did I think that I would be so stressed out over something I thought would change my life for the better. Being the dubbed leader of OyasUmI, I've been in charge of finding places to practice and other sorts of small work for the band. So far, it's been a pain, but knowing that everyone is by my side is what helps me continue forward.

"We can always practice at someone's house," Jun said as she sat opposite me at the coffee table. "But not mine, my brother doesn't really like the noise."

This coffee shop has become a newly-found headquarters for OyasUmI. Being an official band for a little over a week, we've gathered here more than a couple times to discuss about the band and changes that can be made to ensure an inspiring hope for us.

"Can't use mine, not enough space," Kurisu-senpai sighed.

"Oh, oh! My living room is spacious, so we may be able to practice at my house!" Ui said with a smile.

"Are you… are you sure, Ui?" I raised an eyebrow at her. "What about your parents? Wouldn't they mind?"

"As far as I know, my parents are off in France for a few more weeks," she said. "They even sent me a picture of them at the Champs-Elysees yesterday!"

"And Yui-senpai?"

"Onee-chan would love to have each and every one of you at our home!" Ui giggled. "She might even prepare food for us if she's that excited."

"Sounds good then, Ui," I smiled.

"But… we won't be able to use my home for long…"

"We can't rent out a place, 'cause we're flat broke…" Kurisu-senpai replied as he laid down atop the table.

"You can always get a job, senpai…" I frowned. "You're old enough to get one after all."

"I'm too lazy…"

"That's the spirit…" Jun sarcastically said as she shook her head.

"Don't you ever get tired of borrowing money from me?" I folded my arms over my chest and puffed.

"But I end up paying you back…" he whined as he brought himself up to look at me.

"Do you really?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, I do!" he said with a pleaded look on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him and he sighed. "Fine, fine… I'll go find one…"

"Try the convenience store near Sakuragaoka, senpai," Ui said with a smile. "I believe they're hiring for a part-time job to stack the counters."

"How did you know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow to my girlfriend.

"Onee-chan told me. I believe she heard it from one of the girls in her grade."

"Isn't it the one just around the corner from Sakuragaoka?" Jun asked.

"Yes! That one!"

"Yeah… I thought so. Tachibana-senpai's family owns it. I think you should try asking her for a job, Kurisu-senpai – I saw the two of you during the School Festival, acting all chummy together. I'm more than positive that she'd convince her family to give you the opening."

"Tachibana-san…" Kurisu-senpai muttered, looking as if he was about to drift off into a daydream.

"Anyways…" I shook my head. "Once you get a job, we'll be able to officially rent out a place so we can practice with the money you make! Until then, we can use Ui's house to do it!"

"Y'know… I never heard you say anything was wrong with your house. Why can't we just go there?" he frowned.

I ignored him and felt a tug on my shoulder. I turned towards Ui and found her frowning.

"What's wrong, Ui?"

"I have something to say, Satoshi-kun…"

"Although we have a place to practice for the mean time, I totally forgot about something…"

"What would that be?"

"I… I don't have a guitar to play."

* * *

Mio walked down the hallway of Sakuragaoka High School. Usually she would wait for Ritsu and the rest of Houkago Tea Time to join her before they left to school to walk home, but she found herself alone today as she had to stay behind for classroom chores, ushering for the rest of her friends to head home without her.

"Mio-chan!" a voice called out to Mio.

"Hmm?"

She turned around and found Sawako walking towards her with a fastened pace. Soon, the bassist found her bespectacled club advisor standing before her, attempting to catch her breath through short puffs.

"Mio-chan, I have something to say to you…"

"If it's another cosplay idea, you already know my answer, sensei," Mio frowned. "You can always ask Tachibana-san or one of the other girls to cosplay for you."

"It's not that…" Sawako cringed. "Although, I did have some costume ideas for you, but… that's not the case at all right now!"

"Alright…" Mio slowly nodded her head. "What's going on?"

"Remember how you asked me to contact the agent that helped me out during my Death Devil days? For Houkago Tea Time?"

"Ye-yes…"

"Well, I sent them a video of your performances from both your first and second year, and they responded," Sawako smiled. "They thought highly of your performances, and they'll come see the next gig that Houkago Tea Time can manage to get."

"Really!?" Mio's eyes shot up with stars. "Are you serious!?"

"I'm dead serious, Mio-chan! They're going to send in an agent from their company to come and watch Houkago Tea Time perform!"

"I-I have to tell the others!" Mio shouted with glee. "I knew that keeping it a secret from them so far would be a good idea! I can't wait to see the look on Ritsu's face when I tell her the good news!"

"U-um… Mio-chan…"

"We need to get ready… I need to write a new song for the gig! Oh, wait. The next gig! We have to find a new place to perform!"

"Mio-chan…"

"It has to be a big place where a lot of people can watch us perform! It will be amazing! I can picture it now…"

"Mio-chan!" Sawako shouted, gaining Mio's attention.

"What's wrong?" the bassist took a step back in surprise.

"You see... the thing is, Mio-chan…"

"Wh-what…" Mio felt her heart slowly sink as the emotion on Sawako's face provided bad news for the bassist.

"The agent was only interested in you."

* * *

"Only interested in me…" Mio repeated to herself as she walked down the street of suburban Osaka. The sun was setting and the blue skies were gone, replaced with a pink-purple tint that matched the time of the late afternoon.

She could faintly remember the parting words Sawako gave her before she left the campus.

"_I don't know what this will mean for Houkago Tea Time, Mio-chan. I warned you that the people from my past are heartless and they'll do anything to get a quick buck – and yes, that means they're willing to split you away from Houkago Tea Tme."_

Mio shivered at the thought of leaving her friends, and all just for fame and fortune. Although the idea disgusted her and made her feel worse every time she thought about it, she could imagine living a successful life – even without her friends by her side.

"Akiyama-san?" a familiar voice called out to her.

Mio looked towards the voice and found Kurisu Otomo, rhythm guitarist of the newly formed OyasUmI, standing a few feet ahead of her. He held a bright pink paper in his hands that read _Application _and was facing towards the convenience store

"Otomo-kun…" Mio nodded.

"What are you doing out this late?" he asked, his eyes filled with wild curiosity.

"I… I had classroom chores to do… and it took a little bit more than I anticipated…" she narrowed her eyes towards the paper in his hands. "What are you doing here, Otomo-kun?"

"Well, after Literature Club activities, Satoshi wanted me to stop by and fill out a job application to get some income flowing towards OyasUmI," he scratched the back of his head. "Hirasawa-san is the one who directed me here, this convenience store near Sakuragaoka."

"Oh… I see…" Mio nodded. "Well, I should be getting home now, Otomo-kun, so…"

"He-hey…" he called out. "It's getting late, Akiyama-san… you shouldn't be walking around the streets at this time, especially when you're alone. Allow me to walk you home?"

"U-um…" Mio clasped her hands together in nervousness and began playing with her fingers. "I don't… I don't want to be any intrusion to you…"

"It's no biggie!" he brightly smiled, giving Mio a thumbs up. "I heard from Satoshi that you live near him and Tainaka-san, and I'm supposed to head there after I finish up here. Satoshi wanted to talk to me about something."

"If you're so sure…" Mio looked at him.

"Yeah, just give me a sec and I'll be right out with you," he said with a smile.

"Alright…" Mio nodded.

Kurisu returned the nod and ran into the convenience store. Mio leaned against the wall and titled her head back, looking up to the pink and orange sky as she sighed.

All she could think about was the future – the future of Houkago Tea Time. She didn't know whether to use the people she's trusted for a long time as a way to earn fame or to just let this opportunity of stardom pass by.

Mio shook her head frowned.

"_I'm not sure what I should do, sensei…"_

"_Mio-chan… sometimes life throws these amazing opportunities at you, but there's always a cost to what you have to pick – with you it's going to either be friendship or fame. Knowing you girls for the past two years has taught me that you don't want to throw it all away."_

"_What would Ritsu do…"_

"_I think you should finally tell Ricchan what you've done and she'll be more than happy to help you fix it, Mio-chan. Ricchan is the type of girl who values friendship over anything else in this world, and I'm sure she would appreciate the fact that you wanted a higher destiny for Houkago Tea Time – I know I would be."_

"_I…I-I guess…"_

"_Houkago Tea Time will make it to Budokan one day, Mio-chan. And if they're going to make it, they'll need you."_

Mio was brought back to reality as she found Kurisu walking out of the door. He waved to her and brightly smiled.

"Hey, Akiyama-san! I'm finished! Want to walk home now?"

"Sure… it's getting dark…" Mio nodded.

The two of them began walking down the street side-by-side, with silence taking charge over their conversation.

The silence was broke as Mio found Kurisu staring at her. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow, facing away to avoid eye contact with him.

"Wh-what's the problem, Otomo-kun…? Do I have something on my face?"

"Are you alright, Akiyama-san?" he asked. "You seem like you're worried about something."

"Huh? I-I'm fine… really, I am!"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive!"

"If you say so…" he shrugged.

The silence that once reigned over their conversation came back to rule again. The pair walked in silence, with Kurisu stealing glances at Mio every so often, which the shy girl caught and shivered too.

The two of them soon made it to the neighborhood where Ritsu and Mio lived. Mio looked up at her two-story home and let out a sigh of relief.

"He almost found out…" she muttered.

Mio walked up the step to the front door, unlocking it and opening it. She took a step inside and looked back at Kurisu, who stood in the driveway of her household.

"Goodnight, Otomo-kun…" Mio nodded with a faint smile. "Thank you for walking me home."

"Likewise, Akiyama-san," Kurisu saluted the bassist with his index and middle finger. Mio closed the door and Kurisu found himself walking away from the Akiyama household.

He gazed back towards the house of the Akiyama family and raised an eyebrow.

"Just what are you hiding, Akiyama-san?"

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **And there we have it, the end of chapter 5!

**\- **If you've read Touched by an Angel!, Mio personally asked Sawako to find an agent for Houkago Tea Time, without the consent of the others.

**\- **Total drama incoming.

**\- **That's all I have for now, see you all later! Stay beautiful! :]


	6. Chapter 6 - Crossroads of Pain

**Author's Notes**

** \- **Hiya! Long time no see! Hope you're all enjoying the new schoolyear, I definitely am! Let's get this new step in our lives ready with an update to Symphony of Hearts! Sorry for the long wait, and I'll _try _my best to update this along with my other fanfics as much as possible. Welp, let's get into it! I hope you all enjoy and I'll see you later.

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

**Chapter 6 – Crossroads of Pain**

* * *

Akane Satō and Eri Taki walked down the sidewalk of the suburban Osaka neighborhood. The sun began to set and the two of them were headed home after a long day of Volleyball Club practice for the upcoming season.

"Hey, Akane…" Eri pointed at the convenience store across the street. "Isn't that Himeko…?"

"Huh?"

Akane turned to face the direction in which the brunette pointed at, only to find a boy with slicked back black hair talking to a girl with fair complexion and light brown hair. Both of them wore green aprons over gray slacks and a white button-up that was the uniform of the convenience store – Tachibana Supplies.

"And she's with Otomo-kun…" Eri said, keeping a gaze on her friends face. "Huh? You don't seem bothered?"

"Otomo-kun…" Akane growled, balling her hands into fists and narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, there you are!" Eri giggled. "Uh… you okay there, Akane?"

* * *

Mio sat down at her seat in Class 3-2, looking out the window to find the sun setting and a purple-orange aura beginning to take place in the sky. She let out a sigh, before hearing the door slide to an open and then to a close. She didn't look up at the sound, but instead stared back at her desk as the footsteps grew louder by the passing seconds.

"Mio-chan, you're still here?" a familiar voice called out to her. "I thought you would've left along with Ricchan and everyone else by now."

Mio looked up to find Sawako standing by her desk, a stack of papers in her hands.

"I told them I was going to do some extra work here in the classroom…"

"Is that so?"

"Um…no…I actually have to ask you something…"

"Oh, you do?" Sawako placed the stack of papers down on the wooden desk before walking towards Mio. "What's on your mind, Mio-chan?"

"Well…that agency you were talking to me about the other day…" Mio gulped. "And how they were interested in me…cou-could you…give me some more information about them? I'm…ju-just wondering…"

"You want to know more about the agency?" Sawako's eyes widened for a quick moment before relaxing. "Su-sure…I guess I can tell you…what exactly do you want to know, Mio-chan?"

"Everything, Sawako-sensei."

"Everything, huh? Well…they're called Kasai Records, the CEO of the company is Hirano Kasai. As you may know, Kasai Records is a subdivision of the multibillion corporation known as Frontier Group – one of northern Japan's richest and powerful business chains. Actually, I believe they're currently number one in annual revenue," Sawako cleared her throat. "But, I've warned you about the risks if you choose to join Kasai Records as one of their artists, Mio-chan. It makes it even worse considering they're owned by Frontier Group, and I really advise you not to–"

"I want to do it."

"Eh?" Sawako blinked. "EH!? Mio-chan, you can't be serious…"

"I'm definitely serious, Sawako-sensei. Don't you see how much fame I'd get if I join them? It's…it's a dream that could be mine!"

"Mio-chan, you're being…hysterical…this isn't like you!"

"But…"

"You…you should talk about this with Ricchan first, Mio-chan. She's your best friend and a fellow member of Houkago Tea Time, so I think it would be best if you–"

"We can't tell them, Sawako-sensei."

"They're your fellow bandmates, Mio-chan!"

"That doesn't mean we have to tell them!" Mio pleaded. "Sawako-sensei, please! I don't think I'll ever get another chance like this, so they'll _have _to understand! They'll just have to…"

"Di-did…did you think about how Ricchan would feel about this?"

"If anything…she's just going to have to let me go. She cares about me, right? We're best friends! The only thing we'd want for one another is for each one of us to be happy…" Mio shook her head. "And…th-this will make me happy…"

"But…is she going to truly be happy if you leave her?"

"Th-that…" Mio's breathing grew heavier. "I…I guess…that's something we're…going to have to find out…"

"I just want to know for sure that you're serious about this, Mio-chan…" Sawako sighed. "Did you already think about this thoroughly enough? Have you thought about the sacrifices you're going to have to make?"

"I've…thought long and hard, Sawako-sensei…" Mio shook her head. "This is all I've thought about for the past few days…"

"Well, what do you want me to do, Mio-chan?"

"I want you to…umm…call the agent and tell them that I'm interested in becoming one of their clients…"

"My connection is the same agent who tried to sign me up all those years ago," Sawako let out another sigh. "I'll be sure to contact them the next moment I can."

Sawako looked out the window.

"You should be heading on home now, Mio-chan…it's getting too late. At least walk home while there's still a sun out."

"Th-thank you…Sawako-sensei…"

Mio nodded and walked back over to her desk, where she picked up her schoolbag. She bowed towards Sawako before exiting the classroom, shutting the door behind her.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Mio slumped back against the wall and felt warm tears roll down her face. Her mind began flashing with images of her and Houkago Tea Time's moments together before alternating into memories of her and Ritsu throughout the many years of their friendship.

"Ritsu…I know you're going to…sup-support me with this…" Mio closed her eyes and sniffled. "Ple-please…"

* * *

Ritsu walked down the street with Mugi, Azusa, and Yui, clenching onto her schoolbag. In a split moment, the auburn-haired girl felt her nose itch, and before she knew it, she whipped her head back.

"Ah-choo!" Ritsu sneezed, sniffling and wiping her nose with the sleeve of her blazer.

"Aw, senpai, you got some of your snot on me! Ew!" Azusa frowned.

"Bless you, Ricchan!" Yui said with a smile.

"Yeah, bless you, Ricchan," Mugi nodded her head.

"Th-thanks…" Ritsu replied with a faint smile and runny nose. "I just got this feeling that somebody was talking about me…"

"Oh, really? I suppose that does happen, Ricchan," the blonde replied.

"Maybe it was your soulmate!" Yui exclaimed. "Isn't that right, Azunyan?"

"No-now's not the time, Yui-senpai!" Azusa's face turned red.

"Yeah…" Ritsu scratched the back of her head. "And whatever it is, I have a bad feeling about it…" Ritsu muttered as she looked away.

* * *

"And so, with just enough money now in our pockets, Hirasawa-san will be able to purchase any guitar she'd like, though not the ones that are too expensive," Kurisu-senpai proudly said as he folded his arms. "Things like an amplifier and other necessities should be ready to buy by my next paycheck."

All four of us sat in the living room of my house, gathered at a meeting for OyasUmI.

"Wow…and here I thought you would've gotten fired already…" Jun snickered. "I mean, good job senpai!"

"Eh? You should really praise me more often," Kurisu-senpai frowned. "Working for Tachibana-san's family is really hard work. I have to lift boxes and stock shelves for 800 yen an hour."

"I feel like you whine too much in order to be praised…" I sighed.

"Pfft! Not even!" he said before a ringing sounded throughout the room.

Everyone turned towards the direction of the ringing and we all found Kurisu-senpai to be the culprit. He grinned before pulling his cellphone out from his pocket, checking to see who was calling him.

"Huh? At this hour? I'll be right back," he turned to face us as he stood up from his seat. "Hello!" Kurisu-senpai's voice trailed away as he went into the other room.

"So, Ui, got any idea on what kind of guitar you want yet?" Jun asked as she leaned forward.

"Hmm…" Ui lightly tapped her chin with her index finger, staring up at the ceiling in thought. "I have no idea yet…but I know I want one in a pretty teal color. Oh! Maybe in a sort of toothpaste shade of green!"

"That's…cute…" I said under my breath.

"Calm down over there, Satoshi…" Jun sighed.

"Huh? Oh, really?" Kurisu-senpai's voice said from the other room. "That's great! I owe you, cousin!"

"What do you think that's about?" I asked the two girls before me. The two of them shrugged and I let out a sigh.

"Yes, yes! I know I still owe you…but how about we add it to my tab?" Kurisu-senpai nervously chuckled.

"Whatever it is, you know money's involved," Jun shook her head. "My bet's he lost out on another 3000 yen."

"Now, now, Jun-chan, it's not Kurisu-senpai's fault that he didn't know that there was only one calendar for a year," Ui smiled. "We all make mistakes."

Before we knew it, Kurisu-senpai came back into the room, his face lit up with excitement.

"Well, you can call me the manager of OyasUmI – cause I just got us a gig!" he grinned as he tossed a thumbs up towards us. "You can all praise me now!"

I felt my eyes widen and turned to face Ui and Jun, seeing their faces light up with happiness. They jumped out of their seats and I stood up from mine, all three of us crowding around Kurisu-senpai.

"No way! How'd you get us a gig?" Jun asked.

"I called my cousin a few days ago and asked him about any upcoming events, and since he's one of the coordinators for Marauder Fest, he found a spot just for us!" he grinned.

"Ye-yeah…no way…" I muttered, turning to face Ui.

I found my girlfriend to be speechless, with a blank expression on her face that was unreadable, but I could tell from her hysterical shaking that she was overcome with happiness – and that she was trying her best to hold back from blurting out her joy.

"Wait…" Jun held up a finger. "Marauder Fest? I've never heard anything like that around Osaka…just where is this going to be at?"

"Oh, yeah! It's back in my hometown of Black Mesa – in America!" he said.

My jaw fell to the ground and I rubbed my temple that began to throb with annoyance.

"America?" I repeated, feeling the glee slowly drain away. "As in…the United States of America?"

"Well, clearly not South America, silly Satoshi," he grinned. "Of course it's going to be in the United States!"

I faced Jun and Ui, finding their faces filled with disappointment. Ui frowned and Jun brought her palm to her forehead, letting out a deep sigh. Kurisu-senpai batted his eyes at us and quizzically titled his head to the side.

"Just how much of an idiot are you?"

* * *

"I'm not that big of an idiot!" Kurisu frowned as he walked down the sidewalk.

He continued to walk down the sidewalk before finding himself at a crossroad, staring up at the orange sky above. He let out a sigh and found a familiar raven-haired girl standing by herself on the other side of the street, visible tears rolling down her face.

The light turned green and Kurisu walked across the street, coming to a stop as he stood behind the girl. He heard sniffles coming from her and couldn't help but feel some sort of remorse for her.

"Aki-Akiyama-san?" he raised an eyebrow.

Mio turned to face him and let out a sharp gasp. He smiled at her.

"Otomo-kun?" Mio wiped her teary gray eyes.

"You're crying…why are you crying?"

"Wha-what! I was not! I just…"

"I knew something was wrong."

* * *

**Symphony of Hearts!**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**\- **Short chapter, but hey, it's an update! Hopefully this has all of you ready for all the drama that's to come, and a whole new arc coming along in the next chapter! I know I'm definitely excited for it hehe.

**\- **I'll try the best I can to make sure that you all won't have to experience another hibernation for months on end! No promises, but chapter 7 should be here either next month or by the end of October. Until then, everyone! Stay beautiful, and I'll see you all later!


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